During the holiday season you can get caught up in all the hustle and bustle: shopping not for yourself but for your grandkids!; writing Christmas cards to friends and family; and preparing for a family gathering – unless you are fortunate and your children organize it for you.
Or we you could get caught up in your own personal problems whether it is your health, your financial situation – or you are still grieving the loss of a loved one which particularly stings during this time of the year.
All of this can make it easy to forget to stop and appreciate what you do have. Here are several suggestions to help keep your eyes open to see all there is to be grateful for.
1. Don’t be picky: appreciate everything. Life is too short to get upset about the little things – as I often remind my wife when she has to clean up after me. The habit of being grateful starts with appreciating every good thing in life and recognizing that there is nothing too small for you to be thankful for.
2. Find gratitude in your challenges. That’s right. Sometimes a difficult situation can be a blessing in disguise. I’ve been told by several folks how their heart attack has motivated them to be closer to their family and to take better care of themselves.
3. Keep a gratitude journal. Everyday write down what you are grateful for. And don’t forget to include the small blessings you encounter. Then when times are tough, you can pick yourself back up by going to your journal and remembering all that you have been grateful for.
4. Volunteer. There isn’t any better way to appreciate what you have than by helping those who don’t have as much – whether delivering meals, providing shelter during these wintry days, or picking up a church member who no longer drives. In other words: helping others helps you!”
A life well lived is one of gratitude and thankfulness. This season take time to consider all your blessings large and small. But if you can’t think of anything, you can at least be grateful that it isn’t any worse!”
Now that the Center has finished its day trips for the year, I have to give a shout out to Ginny McNary who chooses, organizes and chaperones (It’s a wild bunch!) the Center’s trips. The trips are a wonderful opportunity to travel with your fun loving peers and enjoy incredible sites and fine entertainment – while letting someone else do the driving!
The Center has started its 2020 membership drive. Whether you visit the Center daily, weekly or once a year for special occasions, I hope you consider joining the Center. The Center works to enhance the community by providing opportunities for all generations to “explore, connect and contribute”. The only government funding the Center receives is to operate the SHIBA (Medicare Counseling) Program – which is minimal. A yearly membership is only $35 per person, $60 per couple or to be a SUPER DUPER member it is $50 per person.
From last week’s questions, Burl Ives was the snowman narrator in Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (1964); Boris Karlof was the narrator in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (1966); and in Frosty the Snowman (1969) Jimmy Durante narrated and sang the title song. Those who answered at least one of the three questions correctly are Cheri Brent and Rhonda Spies who remembered Burl Ives; Diane Weston who answered all three questions correctly, and John Huteson this week’s winner of a free quilt raffle ticket who remembered the schnoz himself – Jimmy Durante.
New Year’s Eve is just around the corner when we’ll all be in front of our television sets watching the ball drop in Times Square at midnight. Right? But that wasn’t the case for the characters in this 1972 film. For this week’s “Remember When” question what was the name of the film in which an aged luxury liner on her final voyage is capsized by a giant wave on New Year’s Eve? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send it with an original poster describing the movie as “Hell, Upside Down”.
Well, it’s been another week, trying to model the behavior I wish to see. Until we meet again, may there be peace on earth and goodwill towards all people.
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Ferris Bueller
